Recently I have been looking for a new amp for thrash and heavy metal, and my top three choices are Peavey 6505+, Peavey Triple XXX, and a Mesa/Boogie Mark V. At this point the 6505+ is what i'm thinking about getting because of great distortion and lower price. I have also seen Marshall 8100 which seems fine, but i'm not entirely sure about it. My budget at the moment is around $800. I want to get tones like early Metallica and Megadeth. Which amp would be the best for me? If I do get the Peavey, what can I do to get better clean tones?

I'd take a Triple XXX and put KT77's in it for thrash before I'd go 6505+

Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica and Pantera all have pretty different guitar tones. Which of those do you lean towards the most?

MetalHeadMike wrote:

Honestly none of those would be my first choice for thrash. With your budget, I'd be looking at a Splawn Quickrod or Fryette/VHT Deliverance 60.

This!

This again. Metalheadmike and JerEvil both have it right. These suggestions are all miles better than the amps in the pole. I own all of them AND play in a thrash band. The QR is my #1 choice, followed by the VHT Deliverance.

I guess I'm surprised by the responses, though I've never played a Deliverance (had a Sig X for a bit). I've heard they are pretty similar. 6505+ is an awesome all-around metal amp, including thrash. 5153 is another contender in that vein. Maybe not pure thrash amps but what is really? Mark is a pretty defining Metallica tone too, but yes out of OP's price range.

Agreed, Dual Rec isn't really what you're looking for. Never played a Splawn, I should look into them.

People far more well versed than I are chiming in, but I think everyone should at some time own a 5150/6505. It’s just does a thing plugged straight in that I haven’t heard in other amps. Good luck with the hunt!

I agree with Jer.....the tones you reference, while all being thrashy, are pretty different.

Do you want old school thrash or more modern thrash?

FWIW, thrash tone is where I live on guitar and I can get there in a lot of ways, but it is kind of hard to beat modded Marshall type amps and Mesa Mark series as the basic platform for thrash. With a mid heavy boost up front and an EQ in the loop, you can nail a lot of different thrash tones.

Pantera is the outlier. You can get close with a lot of amps, but to REALLY get there you need an old school SS Randall and a PQ3 or PQ6 (two 3’s in the same unit.....this is what I have, so I can run one in front and one in the loop of my RG100HT)

With all that said, I played in a thrash band for a long time using an old school JCM 800 boosted, then went to a Marshall DSL50 when I got tired of sound guys telling me to turn down (the 800 needed to be FUCKING LOUD to sound good)...and I think the DSL is a very underrated amp for thrash.

The XXX is a great reccomendation and is an awesome sounding amp, regardless of the price.

Lots of rambling here

_________________Type C Behavior (The rules I try to live by every day):CalmCenteredConcentratedCompetentCompetitiveCohesiveCheerfulChildlike (NOT CHILDISH)CommittedConsistentConfident

I agree with Jer.....the tones you reference, while all being thrashy, are pretty different.

Do you want old school thrash or more modern thrash?

FWIW, thrash tone is where I live on guitar and I can get there in a lot of ways, but it is kind of hard to beat modded Marshall type amps and Mesa Mark series as the basic platform for thrash. With a mid heavy boost up front and an EQ in the loop, you can nail a lot of different thrash tones.

Pantera is the outlier. You can get close with a lot of amps, but to REALLY get there you need an old school SS Randall and a PQ3 or PQ6 (two 3’s in the same unit.....this is what I have, so I can run one in front and one in the loop of my RG100HT)

With all that said, I played in a thrash band for a long time using an old school JCM 800 boosted, then went to a Marshall DSL50 when I got tired of sound guys telling me to turn down (the 800 needed to be FUCKING LOUD to sound good)...and I think the DSL is a very underrated amp for thrash.

The XXX is a great reccomendation and is an awesome sounding amp, regardless of the price.

Lots of rambling here

The main band I would like to emulate is Metallica, but I am leaning towards a 6505+ because I also play a lot of heavy metal.

Agreed, Mark III for sure! In this price range none of the other amps mentioned come even close unless you get very lucky and find a cheap older JCM800. That plus a good overdrive pedal would be the ones to consider imo

I have a Splawn Nitro and I love it. It does the punchy Marshally thrash tones pretty well. It really depends on which type of tone you are chasing though. It can do Slayer, Megadeth type shit all day. Metallica, Anthrax not really.

I agree with Jer.....the tones you reference, while all being thrashy, are pretty different.

Do you want old school thrash or more modern thrash?

FWIW, thrash tone is where I live on guitar and I can get there in a lot of ways, but it is kind of hard to beat modded Marshall type amps and Mesa Mark series as the basic platform for thrash. With a mid heavy boost up front and an EQ in the loop, you can nail a lot of different thrash tones.

Pantera is the outlier. You can get close with a lot of amps, but to REALLY get there you need an old school SS Randall and a PQ3 or PQ6 (two 3’s in the same unit.....this is what I have, so I can run one in front and one in the loop of my RG100HT)

With all that said, I played in a thrash band for a long time using an old school JCM 800 boosted, then went to a Marshall DSL50 when I got tired of sound guys telling me to turn down (the 800 needed to be FUCKING LOUD to sound good)...and I think the DSL is a very underrated amp for thrash.

The XXX is a great reccomendation and is an awesome sounding amp, regardless of the price.

Lots of rambling here

The main band I would like to emulate is Metallica, but I am leaning towards a 6505+ because I also play a lot of heavy metal.

Which Metallica era? They are quite a bit different really. I would personally go 5150III over the 6505+ based on what your saying but its all a matter of what tones you really need.

Cheapest....Peavey XXX. Think Gary Holt/Exodus tone and boost the front with mids for that razor cut. A graphic eq and Decimator in the loop for final tone shaping and silencing the hiss. Holts tone cuts thru any mix,and harmonics jump off your fretboard like pubic lice from a 60's era bush set on fire. Pure thrash. Use the extra bux saved for good tubes.

Fuck the clean tone.

_________________A candle looses nothing by lighting another candle.Lean into the light as much as you can,even when there is darkness all around you.

Marshall Valvestate 8100! An all time thrash masterpiece! Just ask Tommy Victor he'll tell ya... Or Chuck Schuldiner RIPPlus it will leave ya with probably $400-$500 bills to spare

"People frown upon it, people scrunch up their nose, people roll their eyes, people don't expect much when they hear the name of this amp... People have no fucking clue how awesome it is... People are Stupid..." Lasse Lammert

_________________"So come pull the sheet over my eyes, so i can sleep tonight despite what i've seen today........." Chris Cornell RIP

Last edited by riffsfordaze on Thu, Feb 14, 2019 2:03pm, edited 4 times in total.

Marshall Valvestate 8100! An all time thrash masterpiece! Just ask Tommy Victor he'll tell ya... Or Chuck Schuldiner RIPPlus it will leave ya with probably $400-$500 bills to spare

"People frown upon it, people scrunch up their nose, people roll their eyes, people don't expect much when they hear the name of this amp... People have no fucking clue how awesome it is... People are Stupid..." Lasse Lammert

THE 8100 ABSOLUTELY RIPS I just grabbed one last month, and it's a stellar thrash/death metal amp. Easily hangs with all my other "High end Boutique" amps and it only runs about $150-$200 Eq in the loop, plug straight in, and look the Fu#k out

Marshall Valvestate 8100! An all time thrash masterpiece! Just ask Tommy Victor he'll tell ya... Or Chuck Schuldiner RIPPlus it will leave ya with probably $400-$500 bills to spare

"People frown upon it, people scrunch up their nose, people roll their eyes, people don't expect much when they hear the name of this amp... People have no fucking clue how awesome it is... People are Stupid..." Lasse Lammert

THE 8100 ABSOLUTELY RIPS I just grabbed one last month, and it's a stellar thrash/death metal amp. Easily hangs with all my other "High end Boutique" amps and it only runs about $150-$200 Eq in the loop, plug straight in, and look the Fu#k out

I have a set of m8100 profiles for Kemper and I LOVED them when I was a KPA guy actually. The 8100 and matching cab was my first "real" half stack" when I was 16.

Marshall Valvestate 8100! An all time thrash masterpiece! Just ask Tommy Victor he'll tell ya... Or Chuck Schuldiner RIPPlus it will leave ya with probably $400-$500 bills to spare

"People frown upon it, people scrunch up their nose, people roll their eyes, people don't expect much when they hear the name of this amp... People have no fucking clue how awesome it is... People are Stupid..." Lasse Lammert

THE 8100 ABSOLUTELY RIPS I just grabbed one last month, and it's a stellar thrash/death metal amp. Easily hangs with all my other "High end Boutique" amps and it only runs about $150-$200 Eq in the loop, plug straight in, and look the Fu#k out

Amen

_________________"So come pull the sheet over my eyes, so i can sleep tonight despite what i've seen today........." Chris Cornell RIP

It is kind of hard to beat modded Marshall type amps and Mesa Mark series as the basic platform for thrash.

^^ This.

A used JCM 800 with KT88 and a booster (Slayer, Testament), a used Peavey 5150 blockletter (old Sepultura, Kreator, Machine head)a used Mark III (you name it)a used Engl powerball,fireball,savage (there is a signature head for Mille Petrozza founder/gitarist of Kreator)

_________________"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)

I say Marshall 8100. Best bang for your buck metal amp ever. I will more than satisfy your thrash metal needs for a lot less money. The old Randalls can’t be beat either. The mid 90’s RH200’s can be had for under $200 all day and are heavy metal as fuck.

5152/6505+ will def do what you want , especially boosted with a 808 type pedal . They can be had cheap and I would prefer it over A Recto and a MarkV having owned all 3 the peavey just sounds right to me and is easy to dial in where the Mesa stuff is much more picky when it comes to pickups and speakers. Mark V was a big let down for me if you must go Mesa I would go with a Mark III in that price price range of $900 you mentioned. However once again the peavey is just flat out better for me, it cuts better in a live mix too and you can easily switch to a nice clean tone which is not as easy with the MK III .

5152/6505+ will def do what you want , especially boosted with a 808 type pedal . They can be had cheap and I would prefer it over A Recto and a MarkV having owned all 3 the peavey just sounds right to me and is easy to dial in where the Mesa stuff is much more picky when it comes to pickups and speakers. Mark V was a big let down for me if you must go Mesa I would go with a Mark III in that price price range of $900 you mentioned. However once again the peavey is just flat out better for me, it cuts better in a live mix too and you can easily switch to a nice clean tone which is not as easy with the MK III .

I have been looking at the triple xxx and the 6505+, which do you think would be better for old Metallica tone?

You’re asking for a single amp to do a range of “thrash” and “heavy metal” tones. Seems like what you need is a good modeler unless you’re willing to find a good tone in your price range and stick with it, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

5152/6505+ will def do what you want , especially boosted with a 808 type pedal . They can be had cheap and I would prefer it over A Recto and a MarkV having owned all 3 the peavey just sounds right to me and is easy to dial in where the Mesa stuff is much more picky when it comes to pickups and speakers. Mark V was a big let down for me if you must go Mesa I would go with a Mark III in that price price range of $900 you mentioned. However once again the peavey is just flat out better for me, it cuts better in a live mix too and you can easily switch to a nice clean tone which is not as easy with the MK III .

I have been looking at the triple xxx and the 6505+, which do you think would be better for old Metallica tone?

either dude, just gotta remember with both of those to roll back the gain, and get the chunk the hard earned way. the recorded tones are highly regarded(like most legacy tones), because of the popularity, and the originality of the material. if you play it right it will sound right homey.

_________________Current gear:Vht d120Engl cabsLes Paul and some Jacksons. A box full of boost pedals

5152/6505+ will def do what you want , especially boosted with a 808 type pedal . They can be had cheap and I would prefer it over A Recto and a MarkV having owned all 3 the peavey just sounds right to me and is easy to dial in where the Mesa stuff is much more picky when it comes to pickups and speakers. Mark V was a big let down for me if you must go Mesa I would go with a Mark III in that price price range of $900 you mentioned. However once again the peavey is just flat out better for me, it cuts better in a live mix too and you can easily switch to a nice clean tone which is not as easy with the MK III .

I have been looking at the triple xxx and the 6505+, which do you think would be better for old Metallica tone?

Out of any peavey amp my vote is gonna be 6505+ , it just sounds right. Good clarity , tight bass , strong mids to cut through. I've owned too many amps to list, amps that cost 3-4x the price of a 6505+, for all styles of metal it kicks most amps ass IMO.

There is a reason why most recording engineers that cater to metal stick with the 5150 amps, they kill for the styles we are talking about. So yeah , thrash , metallica stuff, modern metal , old school and even extreme metal it can do all that stuff. Triple XXX isnt bad but it doesnt sit in the right pocket like the 6505+ does, XXX has a wider frequency range that can get out of control and not as defined and not centered in the right midrange. Thats my opinion , others might disagree because they need to clean out there ears , haha just joking nobody freak out

Cheapest....Peavey XXX. Think Gary Holt/Exodus tone and boost the front with mids for that razor cut. A graphic eq and Decimator in the loop for final tone shaping and silencing the hiss. Holts tone cuts thru any mix,and harmonics jump off your fretboard like pubic lice from a 60's era bush set on fire. Pure thrash. Use the extra bux saved for good tubes.

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